New trail access expected to enhance tourism in Hickory Nut Gorge

Volunteers check out the trails at the Rumbling Bald climbing area at Chimney Rock State Park.

Patrick Sullivan/Times-News

By Beth BeasleyTimes-News Correspondent

Published: Sunday, May 5, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 3, 2013 at 11:47 a.m.

Hickory Nut Gorge, probably best known for Chimney Rock, Lake Lure and the numerous dramatic views it offers, is becoming more accessible to public recreation.

Facts

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For more information on recreationalopportunities in Hickory Nut Gorge,visit* www.friendsofchimneyrockstatepark.org* www.carolinamountain.org/news-and-events* www.hickorynutgorgetrailguide.com

From the world-class climbing on the rock faces of Rumbling Bald to trails that link sections of the gorge, the area that includes Chimney Rock State Park is gaining expanded opportunities for hiking, biking and climbing.

"Chimney Rock State Park is more than just a park — it is part of a community of caring individuals who, through the ages, have shared the inspiration of this beautiful place with people throughout the world," says James Ledgerwood, Chimney Rock State Park superintendent.

"The vision of this community continues to grow, focusing on conserving the natural beauty of the gorge and providing recreational opportunities in a safe and healthy environment," he says.

Volunteer groups such as the Friends of Chimney Rock State Park have become involved in trail building and other activities in the 5,700-acre park.

The group, formed in 2012, has been busy with hands-on trail building as well as fundraising for educational programs and increasing public access at the park.

"There is a misconception that people have that Chimney Rock State Park is just the chimney," says Adam Tripp, president of the park's Friends group.

A trail day in December at the Rumbling Bald area of the park completed work on rerouting the main trail on the east side of the famous rock face.

Through the combined efforts of 46 volunteers working that day, a new set of stone stairs also was built at the end of the east-side trail, where spur trails lead to the boulders, the cliff line and adjacent trails.

A loop will eventually link the two sides of Rumbling Bald — which was acquired by Chimney Rock State Park last year — but until then, a rerouting of the west-side rail needs to be undertaken.

"Along the way, it will provide access to the boulder fields and cliff faces," says Tripp, who is a hiker and rock climber.

The west-side trail is "a little more wild," according to Tripp.

"If you're looking for something off the beaten path, it's a good place to go," he says.

During the December trail-building event, the Friends of Chimney Rock State Park made contact with groups such as the Carolina Climbers Coalition, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Brushy Mountain Trail Club and the Carolina Mountain Club.

The coordinated efforts of these groups are also working on projects beyond trail maintenance.

"They continue to volunteer with natural resource projects like the boulder rehabilitation projects," Ledgerwood says. "These projects involve shoring up crash sites around boulders and preventing further erosion from occurring.

"Together, we are working to protect and provide access to both sides of Hickory Nut Gorge," he adds.

Fundraising efforts are underway to expand the parking area at Rumbling Bald, which experiences overcrowding in colder months, when temperatures are more tolerable on the sunny, south-facing slope.

Finding good hiking trails on public land got a lot easier with the July 2012 release of "A Hiker's Guide to the Hickory Nut Gorge," co-authored by Ryan Lubbers and Nate Ballinger.

The guide outlines public areas open to hiking and biking across the gorge, and includes descriptions, maps and photographs of more than 35 trails around Lake Lure, Chimney Rock, Bat Cave and Gerton.

It is available widely through outdoor stores in the area and online at www.hickorynutgorgetrailguide.com.

Increased recreation

Land conservation has been an important piece in connecting areas in the gorge and attracting people to the land for recreational activities.

Peter Barr, trails and outreach coordinator for Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy in Hendersonville, says it is one of his organization's primary goals to link up Hickory Nut Gorge through publicly accessible trails.

"I'm really excited about it; it's the focus of a lot of our work," he says. "It's a way to make land conservation relevant to everyone."

Barr writes a monthly column for the Times-News about the work CMLC is doing to conserve land and create new trails.

The ultimate aim is to eventually connect Chimney Rock State Park to Bearwallow Mountain, Florence Nature Preserve, Weed Patch Mountain, Rumbling Bald and other areas in the gorge.

Barr says the acts of conserving land and getting people onto those landscapes go hand-in-hand, in addition to the vital goal of conserving natural resources.

For example, CMLC has joined forces with Henderson County Parks and Recreation to create a new trailhead at Florence Nature Preserve.

The trailhead, on Highway 74A in Gerton, has parking and visible road frontage to access the five miles of hiking trails in the 600-acre preserve, which was donated to CMLC in 1996.

Volunteers from the Carolina Mountain Club have constructed a half-mile trail that links the new trailhead tract to the preserve's larger trail network.

Barr has written about the initial impact of the purchase of the World's Edge tract on the formation of Chimney Rock State Park.

In addition to enhancing existing trails, Tripp believes the park has potential for new trail formation.

"There is an immense amount of terrain," he says. "We would like to add trails; we could connect with World's Edge."

Lake Lure steps in

The town of Lake Lure is also getting on board to improve recreational opportunities in the area.

Town Manager Chris Braund is leading an effort to implement a mountain biking trail network at the town's parcel at Weed Patch Mountain and at CMLC's Weed Patch Mountain tract.

In what will be known as Buffalo Creek Park once it is complete, the trails will pass through about 200 acres across the eastern end of Weed Patch.

"Our vision is to establish multi-use hiking and biking trails and ultimately extend those trails across CMLC property on the northern reaches, above the bald," Braund says.

He adds that work will start in the next couple of months, as grant applications are processed.

"We don't have suitable mountain biking trails in this area," Braund says. "We're getting a lot of interest from the Charlotte area."

Braund is also working with CMLC to improve the Summits Trail around Lake Lure.

The long-term vision for the complete trail system includes circumnavigating the summits of the gorge.

In all, it will probably be about 30 to 40 miles long, accessed through both public and private lands.

Connector trails would link to CMLC's work at the other end of the gorge.

According to Braund, the trail will be ideal for both section and thru-hikes, with camping in backcountry spots along the way.

The town also anticipates increased use of bed-and-breakfast inns around Lake Lure by visitors that the trail would attract.

"Over time, we'd have a while new destination in the Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure area," Braund says.

<p>Hickory Nut Gorge, probably best known for Chimney Rock, Lake Lure and the numerous dramatic views it offers, is becoming more accessible to public recreation. </p><p>From the world-class climbing on the rock faces of Rumbling Bald to trails that link sections of the gorge, the area that includes Chimney Rock State Park is gaining expanded opportunities for hiking, biking and climbing. </p><p>"Chimney Rock State Park is more than just a park — it is part of a community of caring individuals who, through the ages, have shared the inspiration of this beautiful place with people throughout the world," says James Ledgerwood, Chimney Rock State Park superintendent.</p><p>"The vision of this community continues to grow, focusing on conserving the natural beauty of the gorge and providing recreational opportunities in a safe and healthy environment," he says. </p><p>Volunteer groups such as the Friends of Chimney Rock State Park have become involved in trail building and other activities in the 5,700-acre park.</p><p>The group, formed in 2012, has been busy with hands-on trail building as well as fundraising for educational programs and increasing public access at the park.</p><p>"There is a misconception that people have that Chimney Rock State Park is just the chimney," says Adam Tripp, president of the park's Friends group.</p><p>A trail day in December at the Rumbling Bald area of the park completed work on rerouting the main trail on the east side of the famous rock face.</p><p>Through the combined efforts of 46 volunteers working that day, a new set of stone stairs also was built at the end of the east-side trail, where spur trails lead to the boulders, the cliff line and adjacent trails. </p><p>A loop will eventually link the two sides of Rumbling Bald — which was acquired by Chimney Rock State Park last year — but until then, a rerouting of the west-side rail needs to be undertaken. </p><p>"Along the way, it will provide access to the boulder fields and cliff faces," says Tripp, who is a hiker and rock climber.</p><p>The west-side trail is "a little more wild," according to Tripp.</p><p>"If you're looking for something off the beaten path, it's a good place to go," he says.</p><p>During the December trail-building event, the Friends of Chimney Rock State Park made contact with groups such as the Carolina Climbers Coalition, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Brushy Mountain Trail Club and the Carolina Mountain Club.</p><p>The coordinated efforts of these groups are also working on projects beyond trail maintenance.</p><p>"They continue to volunteer with natural resource projects like the boulder rehabilitation projects," Ledgerwood says. "These projects involve shoring up crash sites around boulders and preventing further erosion from occurring. </p><p>"Together, we are working to protect and provide access to both sides of Hickory Nut Gorge," he adds.</p><p>Fundraising efforts are underway to expand the parking area at Rumbling Bald, which experiences overcrowding in colder months, when temperatures are more tolerable on the sunny, south-facing slope.</p><p>Finding good hiking trails on public land got a lot easier with the July 2012 release of "A Hiker's Guide to the Hickory Nut Gorge," co-authored by Ryan Lubbers and Nate Ballinger.</p><p>The guide outlines public areas open to hiking and biking across the gorge, and includes descriptions, maps and photographs of more than 35 trails around Lake Lure, Chimney Rock, Bat Cave and Gerton.</p><p>It is available widely through outdoor stores in the area and online at www.hickorynutgorgetrailguide.com.</p><p>Increased recreation</p><p>Land conservation has been an important piece in connecting areas in the gorge and attracting people to the land for recreational activities.</p><p>Peter Barr, trails and outreach coordinator for Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy in Hendersonville, says it is one of his organization's primary goals to link up Hickory Nut Gorge through publicly accessible trails.</p><p>"I'm really excited about it; it's the focus of a lot of our work," he says. "It's a way to make land conservation relevant to everyone."</p><p>Barr writes a monthly column for the Times-News about the work CMLC is doing to conserve land and create new trails. </p><p>The ultimate aim is to eventually connect Chimney Rock State Park to Bearwallow Mountain, Florence Nature Preserve, Weed Patch Mountain, Rumbling Bald and other areas in the gorge.</p><p>Barr says the acts of conserving land and getting people onto those landscapes go hand-in-hand, in addition to the vital goal of conserving natural resources. </p><p>For example, CMLC has joined forces with Henderson County Parks and Recreation to create a new trailhead at Florence Nature Preserve. </p><p>The trailhead, on Highway 74A in Gerton, has parking and visible road frontage to access the five miles of hiking trails in the 600-acre preserve, which was donated to CMLC in 1996.</p><p>Volunteers from the Carolina Mountain Club have constructed a half-mile trail that links the new trailhead tract to the preserve's larger trail network.</p><p>Barr has written about the initial impact of the purchase of the World's Edge tract on the formation of Chimney Rock State Park.</p><p>In addition to enhancing existing trails, Tripp believes the park has potential for new trail formation.</p><p>"There is an immense amount of terrain," he says. "We would like to add trails; we could connect with World's Edge."</p><p>Lake Lure steps in</p><p>The town of Lake Lure is also getting on board to improve recreational opportunities in the area.</p><p>Town Manager Chris Braund is leading an effort to implement a mountain biking trail network at the town's parcel at Weed Patch Mountain and at CMLC's Weed Patch Mountain tract. </p><p>In what will be known as Buffalo Creek Park once it is complete, the trails will pass through about 200 acres across the eastern end of Weed Patch.</p><p>"Our vision is to establish multi-use hiking and biking trails and ultimately extend those trails across CMLC property on the northern reaches, above the bald," Braund says.</p><p>He adds that work will start in the next couple of months, as grant applications are processed.</p><p>"We don't have suitable mountain biking trails in this area," Braund says. "We're getting a lot of interest from the Charlotte area."</p><p>Braund is also working with CMLC to improve the Summits Trail around Lake Lure. </p><p>The long-term vision for the complete trail system includes circumnavigating the summits of the gorge.</p><p>In all, it will probably be about 30 to 40 miles long, accessed through both public and private lands.</p><p>Connector trails would link to CMLC's work at the other end of the gorge.</p><p>According to Braund, the trail will be ideal for both section and thru-hikes, with camping in backcountry spots along the way. </p><p>The town also anticipates increased use of bed-and-breakfast inns around Lake Lure by visitors that the trail would attract.</p><p>"Over time, we'd have a while new destination in the Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure area," Braund says.</p>